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Alabama state legislative special elections, 2020

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In 2020, one special election was called to fill a vacant seat in the Alabama State Legislature.

Click here to read more about the special elections.

House special elections called:

How vacancies are filled in Alabama


If there is a vacancy in the Alabama State Legislature, a special election must generally be conducted in order to fill the vacant seat. In the event that a vacancy occurs on or after October 1 in the year of a regular election, the seat will remain vacant until filled at the regular election. Otherwise, the governor must call for a special election if the vacancy happens before the next scheduled general election and the Legislature is in session.[1][2][3] The governor has all discretion in setting the date of the election along with the nominating deadlines.[3][4]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Alabama Code § 17-15-1


About the legislature

The Alabama State Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama State Senate, with 35 members.

The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the most recent general elections prior to 2020. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).

Alabama State Senate
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 8 8
     Republican Party 26 27
     Independent 1 0
Total 35 35
Alabama House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 32 28
     Republican Party 72 77
     Vacancy 1 0
Total 105 105

Special elections

Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:

November 17, 2020


Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2020

In 2020, 55 state legislative special elections were held in 26 states. Four special elections were canceled in New York due to the coronavirus pandemic. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2020 special elections

In 2020, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:

  • 23 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
  • 5 due to a resignation related to criminal charges[8]
  • 18 due to retirement
  • 13 due to the death of the incumbent

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:

The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2020. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections. In elections between 2011 and 2019, either the Democratic Party or Republican Party saw an average net gain of four seats across the country. Between 2018 and 2019, Democrats had a net gain of six seats.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections (2020)
Party As of Special Election After Special Election
     Democratic Party 21 27
     Republican Party 38 32
     Independent 0 0
Total 59 59

Flipped seats

In 2020, eight seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.

Seats flipped from D to R

Seats flipped from R to D


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Ballotpedia, "Alabama Amendment 4, Legislative Vacancies Amendment (2018)," accessed March 28, 2025
  2. ↑ Justia US Law, "2023 Code of Alabama Title 17 - Elections. Chapter 15 - Special Elections. Section 17-15-1 - When and for What Offices Held." accessed February 26, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Justia US Law, "2023 Code of Alabama Title 17 - Elections. Chapter 15 - Special Elections. Section 17-15-3 - Special Elections Ordered by Governor." accessed February 26, 2025
  4. ↑ Alabama Legislature, "Constitution of Alabama 2022," accessed February 26, 2025
  5. ↑ The Office of the Alabama Governor, "Governor Ivey Announces Special Election Dates for House District 49," May 18, 2020
  6. ↑ WSFA, "Rep. April Weaver resigns to join Trump administration," May 12, 2020
  7. ↑ Alabama Political Reporter, "Merrill commends former State Rep. April Weaver on White House appointment," May 20, 2020
  8. ↑ Arkansas State Rep. Mickey Gates (R) was expelled by a vote of the House membership.
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